Morning Sickness Guidelines

Posted on Aug 4, 2011 | About Morning Sickness, Articles Category | | Print This Article

 

The worst part of early pregnancy, for many women, is morning sickness. It can strike at any time of the day, and it can be debilitating. In some cases, when it’s especially severe, it can cause health problems for both you and for your baby.

Here are some of the basic steps you can take in order to reduce the frequency and severity of your morning sickness:

• Modify your diet. Get rid of fatty foods and spicy foods. Both tend to cause your body to produce stomach acid, which can aggravate your morning sickness.
• Change when you eat. Eating smaller meals spaced throughout the day can help. Five small meals instead of three big ones can make a big difference in your morning sickness. This lets you avoid becoming too full or too hungry, both of which will make your morning sickness worse.
• Consider some anti-nausea supplements. There are a variety of supplements that can help to reduce morning sickness, including ginger, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and others.
• Stay away from foods with strong smells. Even some foods you enjoy may have strong smells that can serve to make morning sickness worse. The same goes for other sources of strong smells.
• Look into acupressure. Some women seem to have luck with this. There are even anti-nausea acupressure bands you wear on your wrist that can give you some relief.
• Talk to your doctor about anti-nausea medications. Doxylamine with Vitamin B6 is thought to be safe for pregnant women to take, but you should of course confer with your doctor first.

If your morning sickness is so severe that you can’t keep anything down, you should also visit your doctor. It’s important that you get all of the nutrition you need during pregnancy, both for you and for your developing baby. If it’s very severe, your doctor may wish to treat it more aggressively.

Finally, remember that morning sickness will not stick around forever. For most women, it ends by the end of your first trimester. In a worst case scenario, you should be free and clear by the time you deliver your baby.

 

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